Gloria pointed to the upstairs bedroom. “You better send your men inside. There’s one more person you’re going to want to talk to.”
Somehow Paul wasn’t surprised. He glanced towards the house. “I’ll go check it out myself.” He waved to a couple officers nearby. The three men headed towards the door.
Andrea watched them go. “Can you believe it? Chelsea again.” She glanced at Gloria. “Do you think they killed her?”
Gloria looked at the two brothers glaring at them from the rearview window of the cop car. “No. I don’t think they would’ve killed us either. At least I’d like to believe they wouldn’t.”
“So Chelsea poisoned Arthur Blackstone?”
Gloria nodded. “She must’ve been the one. She’s one bad seed, that’s for sure.”
The girls watched as a cuffed Chelsea Hicks emerged through the front door. She yanked her arm from the officer’s grip and stomped over to where Gloria and Andrea were watching from the edge of the drive. “This isn’t over. Not by a long shot.”
Seconds later, she was shoved into the back of a second police car. Chelsea glared at them from the window until she was out of sight.
Andrea shivered. “I’m not sure I’ll ever feel safe with that woman still alive.”
Caught up in the conversation, Gloria failed to notice all the reporters that were milling about. The last thing she wanted to do was talk to a camera crew.
She took a step back as she tried her best to slink into the shadows but it was too late. The news crew got a good shot of her face before shoving a microphone in front of her.
“This is Alex Jenkins from WMG News. I’m here in the small town of Belhaven where three suspects have just been arrested in the murder of Arthur Blackstone.”
“With me now is Gloria Rutherford.” He turned to Gloria. “Is it true that for the second time in as many months, you’ve solved a local murder?”
Gloria stood there staring blankly at the camera. She wasn’t prepared for this. What did her hair look like?
It was obvious the woman wasn’t going to say a single word. The reporter sighed and turned to Andrea. Andrea had the good sense to pat her hair down and straighten her clothes while the camera was on Gloria. “Is it true that you found not only the murder victim right here on this property but also helped solve the murder case?”
“Why I-uh…” And then she froze. The camera and bright lights were too much.
The reporter slowly moved to the side until the camera was zoomed in on just him. “Folks, if you’re just tuning in, three suspects have been arrested in the Johnson Mansion murder case. We hope to have a full story for you on tomorrow’s early show.”
He turned off the microphone and walked back over to where the girls were still standing. “I’d sure like an exclusive interview with you. This story is fascinating.”
Gloria glanced at Andrea uncertainly. Did they really want to put themselves through this?
He looked at them pleadingly. “This is my first assignment. A story like this could jump start my whole career.”
Gloria sighed. She always was a sucker for the underdog. “It’s OK with me if it’s OK with Andrea.”
Andrea nodded faintly. “But first I want to make sure I don’t look like a total wreck.”
The girls headed back in the house and up the stairs to the master bath. Gloria was almost afraid to see what kind of mess the Blackstones left behind when they broke down the bathroom door.
The damage wasn’t too terribly bad. The door was beyond repair but that was pretty much the extent of it.
Gloria walked over to the mirror. She didn’t look nearly as frazzled as she’d envisioned. Maybe she was getting used to catching criminals.
Half an hour later, the interview was over. They rode silently back to Gloria’s house in the back seat of Paul’s police car.
He glanced in the rearview mirror. “I hope you two learned your lesson.”
Fat chance, Gloria thought. She was getting pretty good at this detective thing. “What I was really thinking is maybe the police department should hire me.”
He sighed heavily. Not the answer he’d hope to hear. But it wasn’t all bad. That just meant he’d be able to keep an eye on her himself.
Paul dropped Gloria off first. He rolled the window down as she made her way up the steps. “I’ll call you later, after I drop Andrea off.”
Gloria yawned loudly as she nodded her head. All the excitement finally took its toll.
Mally was anxiously awaiting her return. She wasn’t sure if the dog was happy to see her or if it was more that she had to make a fast trip outdoors. Gloria was too exhausted to hook her to the leash. She opened the door and shook her finger in warning. “No funny stuff! Do your business and get back here – Pronto!” She could’ve sworn the dog nodded before scrambling down the steps.
Gloria peered into the darkness as she tried to follow Mally’s movements but it was no use. She could hear her rustling around but she moved so fast it was like trying to follow a speeding bullet.
“C’mon. Time to come back in.”
“Woof!” Seconds later, Mally bounded back up the steps, an ear of corn firmly clenched in her mouth.
She stuck her hand on her hip. She was too exhausted to put up a fight tonight. “Ok, you can bring it with you. But just this one time,” she warned.
She quickly locked up the house and dressed for bed. She was just about to crawl in when the phone rang. “Did Andrea make it home safely?”
Paul’s deep voice echoed through the phone. “Yes. I think she’s relieved the whole thing is over.” He sighed. “I wish you felt the same way….”
But Gloria didn’t. The more cases she solved, the more she loved it. It was becoming an addiction.
“You’ll need to come by the station in the morning to give a statement.”
“I’ll see you then?” she asked hopefully.
Paul laughed. “Of course. I have to keep an eye on you!”
Gloria hung up and crawled into her warm, comfy bed. Seconds later, Puddles crept over and curled around Gloria’s head. Not to be left out in the cold, Mally jumped on board, sprawling out on the other side of Gloria and taking up at least half the bed.
She smiled contentedly as she drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 10
Gloria’s foggy brain vaguely registered her phone ringing. Insistently. She covered her head in an attempt to muffle the sound but it wouldn’t go away. Eventually, it stopped. She uncovered her head and glanced at the clock. Ten-ten. She lay there for several long moments as her brain worked hard to process everything that transpired the night before.
Until the phone began ringing again. She shooed Puddles out of the way. She slipped on her slippers and made her way to the phone, half hoping it would stop before she got there.
“Hello?”
“The press won’t leave me alone!” It was Andrea on the other end and she was more than a little aggravated. “They’re camped outside my house!”
“Hang on.” Gloria set the phone down and made her way over to the window. She peeked around the edge of the long, billowy curtain that faced the street. Nothing.
She shuffled out to the kitchen and peered through corner of the blind. A news van was parked in her drive. A camera crew and reporter were lounging around out in the driveway.
She sighed. “Mine, too.”
“Ugh! I can’t even leave my house!”
Gloria filled the coffee pot and turned it on. “Want me to come get you?”
Andrea giggled. “So the camera crew can follow you to my house and we’ll have even more of them parked outside?”
Yeah, Gloria had to admit that probably wouldn’t be a good idea. “You could call the cops, tell them the reporters are trespassing.”
“I thought about that but what if they write something bad about me?” She paused. “Hey, it looks like they’re leaving.”
With a promise to check in later, Gloria hung up the phone.
Maybe the guys in front of her house would give up eventually, too.
She peeked out the window before heading to the shower. The news van was still there. She sighed in aggravation. I guess I’ll just have to wait them out.
She threw on some clothes and snuck out the bedroom window with Mally. Desperate times call for desperate measures. The dog wanted more than anything to run around the front of the house and check out the camera crew.
Back inside the house, Gloria’s phone was ringing again. It was Ruth. “Do you know you have a news van in your driveway?”
Heavy sigh. “Still there, huh?”
“Now what did you do?” Ruth already had a good idea though. “It has something to do with the Blackstone murder?”
“Yeah…”
Ruth was irritated. “How come I’m never included in all the fun stuff?”
“I never knew you wanted to. Now that I know, I’ll be sure to include you in my next investigation,” Gloria retorted. Just a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
“Look, I gotta go. Someone just walked in.” Apparently Ruth was at work.
The rest of the morning was uneventful if you didn’t count the news crew camped out in the yard. Her phone rang nonstop as at least a dozen well-intentioned friends called to let her know there was a TV truck parked in her drive. As if she could miss it.
She was almost ready to send an SOS out to Paul for help in getting rid of the pesky reporters when she heard a light tap on her porch door. She peeked through the blind. It was Jill and the boys.
She quickly whipped the door open and yanked them inside, slamming the door shut as soon as they were in.
Jill tossed her mom’s mail on the table. “I picked this up on my way in.” She turned to glance out the window. “What on earth is going on out there?”
Gloria pulled out a chair and plopped down. “It’s a long story…”
“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were having a mid-life crisis, Mom.” Jill ran her hands through her long locks.
Ryan tugged on Gloria’s sleeve. “Can we take Mally outside?” Mally hated being cooped up in the house all day. She was driving Gloria crazy, darting from one window to the next, barking every time she spotted one of the pesky reporters moving about. Maybe the boys could help get rid of the reporters…
She gave them her blessing and opened the door with a warning. “Stay in the yard.” She glanced at the reporter headed her way. “Why don’t you see if you can entertain those nice men for a while?”
“Sure!” The boys darted out the door and down the steps. Gloria left the door open a crack, curious to see what would happen.
It didn’t take long before the poor reporter had Mally’s leash wrapped around his legs and Tyler was reaching for his microphone. “How does this thing work?” He grabbed it out of the man’s hand. Tyler puffed up his chest and faced the camera. “Are we live?”
Jill peeked over the top of her Mom’s head. “That wasn’t very nice…”
She stood silently as she watched her boys in action. “I give them five minutes before they pack up and head out.”
It ended up being more like four tops. Right after Ryan managed to crawl into the van where he must’ve found a panel of buttons because the antenna on top of the van was bobbing up and down at a rapid rate. Something akin to a possessed pogo stick.
The reporter tried frantically to snatch his microphone from Tyler’s hands but instead fell face first onto the gravel when Mally decided to trip him up.
Gloria watched as Ryan was carried from the back of the van, kicking and screaming. “I promise I won’t touch anything else!”
The reporter was back on his feet as he lunged for the microphone. Tyler easily skipped away, just out of reach.
Seconds later, he tossed the microphone in the air and yelled to his younger brother, “Catch!”
Ryan caught the microphone mid-air, tucked it under his arm and rolled like a football player. “Touchdown!”
The news crew tackled Ryan on the ground and wrestled the expensive piece of equipment from his grubby hands. The men rushed to the van, as if being chased by the devil himself.
The boys stood there watching as the van peel out of the drive, a look of utter disappointment blanketing their faces.
They walked back to the house, shoulders drooping.
Gloria patted them gently as they shuffled back inside. “Don’t worry. If we’re lucky they won’t be back,” she chuckled.
“How ‘bout some milk and cookies to cheer you up?” The news crew was quickly forgotten as the boys devoured the snack and headed back outdoors.
Jill shook her head in amazement. “That was brilliant. For once, just once, their naughtiness paid off.”
Gloria was only half-listening as she sifted through the mail. There were several bright, colorful brochures from Dreamwood Retirement Village on top of the stack. “I keep getting these stupid brochures from Dreamwood, inviting me to visit their beautiful, sprawling complex.” She shook her head as she glanced over at her daughter.
Gloria tapped the edge of the three-fold pamphlet on the corner of the table. “You wouldn’t happen to have any idea why I’m all of the sudden getting these sent to me?”
The expression on her daughter’s face was one of obvious guilt. “I was hoping if maybe you took a look at the place you just might change your mind.”
“You’re wasting your time and they’re wasting their money. I’m not moving,” she stated matter-of-factly.
She grabbed the rest of the pile and quickly finished rifling through. There was an official-looking envelope from a local bank. She turned it over and pried the back open with her nail. There was a letter inside. She opened the letter as a check fell out and silently fluttered to the ground.
Jill reached down and picked it up. “What this?” She glanced at her mom in disbelief. “This check is for $10,000!”
The enclosed letter read:
“Dear Ms. Rutherford,
Green Springs Community Bank would like to present this check to you as a token of our appreciation for the recovery of money that was stolen from our bank during a recent robbery.
Your honesty and integrity are attributes rarely seen today and we will forever be grateful for them both.
Please accept this gift of $10,000 with our sincere gratitude.
Sincerely,
Steven W. Allison, President
Green Springs Community Bank.
Gloria handed the letter to Jill without saying a word. Her hand flew to her mouth as she quickly read the letter out loud. “You found the money?”
“Mmhmm.”
Jill picked up the check. “That’s a nice chunk of change.”
Gloria shrugged. “I’ve been thinking about what to do with it ever since I found out there was a reward. I think I know how I’d like to spend it…”
“A newer car?” Jill asked hopefully. Annabelle was dependable and everything but she was getting old.
Gloria shook her head firmly. “No. Annabelle stays.” She glanced out the window, watching her grandsons chase the dog around the yard. They were having a grand old time.
“Half of this money belongs to Lucy. I haven’t talked to her yet but I’m thinking that maybe we’re going to check something off her bucket list.”
Jill’s eyebrows raised.
Gloria glanced down at the check in her hand and smiled. “A nice long Caribbean cruise!”
Gloria’s Blissful Baked Macaroni ‘n Cheese
3/4 box elbow macaroni (A whole box tends to be a little too much & the dish won’t be as “cheesy.”)
1 large or two medium packages of EXTRA Sharp Cheddar Cheese (2-8 ounce packages or 1-16 ounce package. Cut into small cubes.
Salt
Pepper
6 Tbsp. butter
1-1/2 Cups milk (Can use any kind -2% or whole milk, whatever you prefer)
1/8 Cup All Purpose Flour
Boil large pot of salted water. Add macaroni to boilin
g water. Cook until done.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Drain macaroni
Toss macaroni in 2 tablespoons of butter, salt and pepper to taste.
Pour macaroni in glass baking dish.
In medium saucepan, mix a cup of milk, 4 tablespoons of butter & sharp cheddar cheese.
Stir over medium heat until cheese is melted. Add a small handful of flour. Stir.
Pour cheese mixture over macaroni.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Stir until mixed well.
Add another small handful of flour. Stir.
Add milk to cover 2/3 of mixture (if you put too much milk in, it will boil over and make a huge mess.)
Cover and bake for 1 hour.
Remove cover and bake uncovered for ½ hour. If top isn’t caramelized, turn on broiler. Broil for 2-5 minutes or until crispy.
***
Other Books by Author, Hope Callaghan:
Who Murdered Mr. Malone? Garden Girls Mystery Series Book 1
Waves of Deception: Samantha Rite Series Book 1
Winds of Deception: Samantha Rite Series Book 2
Tides of Deception: Samantha Rite Series Book 3
Grandkids Gone Wild (The Garden Girls Book 2) Page 11